document.write( "Question 308361: Two cars leave an intersection. One car travels north; the other east. When the car traveling north had gone 12 miles, the distance between the cars was 4 miles more than the distance traveled by the car heading east. How far had the eastbound car traveled? \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #220531 by Fombitz(32388) $\"\"$ $\"About$

You can put this solution on YOUR website!
D=distance traveled by the car going east
\n" ); document.write( "12=distance traveled by the car going north
\n" ); document.write( "D+4=distance between the cars.
\n" ); document.write( "The distance from start to the car going north, the distance from the start to the car going east, and the distance between the cars form a right triangle.
\n" ); document.write( "Right triangles obey the Pythagorean theorem.
\n" ); document.write( " $\"A%5E2%2BB%5E2=H%5E2\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"12%5E2%2BD%5E2=%28D%2B4%29%5E2\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"D%5E2%2B144=D%5E2%2B8D%2B16\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"8D%2B16=144\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"8D=128\"$
\n" ); document.write( " $\"D=16\"$
\n" ); document.write( "The eastbound car traveled 16 miles. \n" ); document.write( "

\n" );